2023-06-03 05:49:53
newspaper describedThe IndependentThe British woman is studying a blood test that can detect more than 50 different types of cancer with “Al-Thawri”, given that this type of examination will lead to the diagnosis of this disease in the early stages.
The study showed that the test, known as the “Gallery”, was able to detect signs of cancer in 323 people out of 6,238 people who visited their GP with suspected symptoms, in both England and Wales.
Of these 323 patients, the researchers said, 244 were subsequently diagnosed with cancer, giving a positive predictive accuracy of 75 percent.
The test predicted 37 percent of bowel cancer cases, 22 percent of lung cancer cases, 8 percent of uterine cancer cases, as well as 6 percent of esophageal cancer cases and 4 percent of ovarian cancer cases.
According to experts, the results may mean that the blood test has the potential to detect and rule out cancer in people with symptoms, speeding up diagnosis.
The study showed that in 85 percent of the positive cases, the test was able to identify the original site of the cancer.
The test, being piloted by researchers at the University of Oxford, detects fragments of tumor DNA in the bloodstream, as some cancerous tumors are known to secrete DNA into the blood long before a patient begins to feel symptoms.
However, the accuracy of the test varies according to the stage of the cancer. Gallerie’s test was able to accurately predict 95 percent of advanced-stage tumours, while it was only able to predict 24 percent of very early-stage cancers.
The test does not detect all types of cancer and does not replace NHS screening programmes, such as breast, cervical and bowel screening programmes.
The researchers said the test was still “under study,” noting that the trials had shown strong promise.
NHS Cancer Institute director Professor Peter Johnson said: “This study is the first step in testing a new method for identifying cancer as quickly as possible.”
He added, “Early detection of cancer is vital and this test can help us detect it and help save thousands of lives.”
“The results suggest that multiple cancer early detection tests (MCEDs) could play a role in assessing patients with symptoms of cancer before they are diagnosed,” said Brian Nicholson, Associate Professor in the Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford.
“Most patients diagnosed with cancer first see their primary care physician to investigate symptoms suggestive of cancer, such as weight loss, anemia or abdominal pain, which can be complicated as there are many possible causes.”
He continued, “There is a need for new tools that can speed up the diagnosis of cancer and avoid the costly tests to screen patients with unidentified cancer symptoms more accurately.”
Professor Helen McShane, director of the Oxford Center for Biomedical Research at the National Institute for Human Rights, said: “We are committed to diagnosing cancers early in order to treat them, and this study is an important step in that journey.”
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